I have been shipping materials to the Philippines
for over 20 years now. At first
they were just boxes of books and clothes mostly for my family.
Later on, I started sending things to other preachers and
churches as well. Before me, my dad did the same while he
was in college at OCC. He used
to save all his money to buy books and regularly ship them
to the Philippines. Former missionaries like the
Garners, Sheppards, Hamiltons,
Brashears, and many others continued
to support the Philippine work by sending religious materials
long after they came back from the Philippines.
I remember going to the house of Ralph
Brashears, founder of the Philippine
Bible College in Baguio.
He lived in a poor neighborhood in Pauls
Valley, OK. He did not have much, but his house was
full of boxes of books, tracts, and teaching materials that
he collected to send to the Philippines. At that time he was
about 85 years old, and he was still passionately concerned
for the Philippine Mission effort.
Floyd
Hamilton shipped his complete library to the Philippines
in a container. I have personally witnessed Charles
& Bonnie Sheppard regularly set personal things aside
to send over to the Philippines, including carpentry
and garden tools, lawn mowers, religious books, clothes, shoes,
etc. Recently, before Charlie
Garner died, he told his wife to send his books to
the Philippines. I had the privilege of facilitating his wishes.
Last
year was the most successful year in shipping things for the
Philippine Mission effort: two containers full of religious
materials and one bus. Bill Elliot sent
a 20-foot container full
of textbooks for Sunrise Christian College.
Hot Springs Village COC and Harold
and Betty Owen also helped fund a 40-foot
shipment full of Bibles, religious materials and
church and preaching school supplies and equipment. Charles
& Bonnie Sheppard donated a bus and paid for the shipment
all the way to Butuan City, Philippines.
Those projects were stressful and taxing because of the loading
and unloading, dealing with the Philippine customs, and transporting
items between islands. However, in spite of that, I believe
they are worth the trouble because they bless the givers and
the receivers. As the "middle man" I do not feel too bad myself
(after getting breaks between shipments, of course).
This year, we shipped
another 40-foot container
to the Philippines. It again contained
religious materials and 100 computers for Sunrise
Christian College. With that shipment was a metal building
that is now being used by the school. It was donated and personally
assembled by Bill Elliot.
Later this year,
we hope to ship another 40-foot container from Altamesa
Church of Christ specifically for our next church-planting,
medical missions and evangelistic campaigns. The shipping date
is scheduled for December 15.
Below is a list
of some things you can donate for the Philippine
Mission effort. First on our list are Bibles, song books,
and religious teaching materials; after that are things churches
and preaching schools can use; third are medical equipment and
supplies; last are benevolence materials like clothes, used eye-glasses,
shoes, kitchen wares and bedroom stuff.
Wish List
Bibles
All
versions, used or new, big or small. Send your old Bibles
and we will find new owners.
Song
books
I get requests
from Philippine churches for song books all the time. If
we plant 20 new churches, all will need song books as well.
Religious
books
Commentaries,
concordances, Bible reference books, manuals, dictionaries,
self-help, etc.
Religious
teaching materials
Sunday school,
Bible study presentation, tracts, booklets, posters, outlines,
art work, religious computer programs, etc.
Medical
equipment and supplies
Everything
from dental to medical tools and equipment. Here is a jumbled
list to which you can add on as you think of things: wheel
chairs, crutches, eye-glasses, operating tools, lab equipment,
medicine, supplies, uniforms, emergency kits, etc.
For
Church and Missionary use
Office equipment
such as computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners,
mimeographing machines, offset printing machines, etc. Office
supplies and office furniture, computer programs and other
tools.. We are also collecting old bicycles for our country-side
evangelistic workers. We also need used window-unit air
conditioners for our Cebu office.
For
Youth Camps and Summer Evangelistic College Campaigns
Bedsheets,
towels, blankets, tents, kitchenware, sleeping bags, flashlights,
pillows, etc.
For
Sunrise Christian College and other preaching schools
For the students
to raise their own food, we are collecting garden tools
such as hoes, rakes, shovels, etc. To help students learn
how to make a living, we want to teach them carpentry, and
how to fix machines, such as computers, air conditioners
and refrigerators. They will need tools, equipment and supplies.
We will accept anything and ship and distribute them.
For
Benevolence materials
Light clothing,
socks, shoes, light jackets, hats, etc. Things we can give
to street kids and help our poor preaching school students.
Note:
I am looking
for someone to take charge of this next shipment to the Philippines.
He has to be from the area, have the means and ability to coordinate
the consolidation of all the materials from around the metroplex.
I would like to focus on the more evangelistic side of this effort.
